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Many are waist-deep in mud and don't know where to turn to start cleaning up. The other problem is that some, like George Slagle, don't have flood insurance.

Slagle's basement took in 7 feet of water after a creek running behind his house swelled and rushed through his property.

Slagle thought he was safe because the creek never had a history of flooding, even during heavy rains.

"In the 80 years my neighbors have been here, it's never come up. Thought I was safe. Can't take it for granted I guess," said Slagle.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency encourages everyone to get flood insurance, even if property is not close to water, because floods are the most common natural disaster.

Floods can occur from runoff in other areas and drainage lines can back up.

In the case of Julius and Michele Brown, they don't show much faith in the insurance industry.

The Browns have flood insurance, but the deductible is $2,000, making the couple feel like they're getting ripped off because they're paying a premium of $650 a year. They will avoid paying the deductible and clean up the mess left behind from 4 feet of flood water in their basement.

The other issue facing the Browns is adequate coverage. Their policy only covers the loss of appliances, nothing else. "We have clothes, we have dressers, we have cabinets. They do not cover any of that," Michele Brown said.

The National Flood Insurance Program says homeowners ought to purchase two flood policies: one to cover repairs to a building and a policy can cover up to $250,000, and one that covers contents lost in a flood up to $100,000.